Spring Training 

Now that spring is here and the weather is warming, it’s time to get training into full swing. No, we’re not talking about baseball; we’re talking about safety training. If your business has been in winter hibernation, now is the time to get your employees in shape for the regular season.

It’s time to review your training records and see if you have any equipment operators that are due for re-certification or need to be trained on new equipment. This is a good time to schedule refresher training on the fundamentals of general safe work practices such as the use of PPE, material handling, fire prevention, and electrical safety. If there have been any changes in the types of protective equipment workers will use they will need training on them.

If your work includes using ladders or scaffolds, retrain everyone on safe climbing procedures and fall protection. Verify that employees who will be responsible for assembling, moving, and disassembling scaffolds have retained the knowledge necessary to perform that work safely.

You should also review your list first aid providers to make sure it’s current, and determine if you want to increase the number of certified personnel. Since certification or refresher, training for your responders will likely require scheduling the training with an approved organization (i.e. the Red Cross or St. John Ambulance), now is the time to contact them and either schedule a company training session or enroll employees into existing classes.

While we’re on the subject of first aid, you should take this opportunity to inspect, inventory, and replenish your first aid kits. Make sure you have enough kits of the right size for the upcoming jobs, and that all of the kit contents are there and haven’t expired or been damaged.

Scheduling training now, before it gets busy, could save you a lot of time or money later. It’s going to be a long season, make sure your team is ready to go the distance and is bringing their “A” game.